I have been a dhamma practitioner for almost a year and have been following this discussion forum for quite a few months (I've learned so much from this forum). I finally registered and this is my first post!

I'm a Chinese-Canadian guy who grew up in a very traditional but non-Buddhist family. However, certain elements of "popular Buddhism" have been integrated into Chinese culture over the centuries and as a result, growing up as a kid, Buddhism always seemed hokey and I always thought that the Buddha was "the fat guy at the restaurants" (Hotei) or that the Buddha was a god that you "pray" to and thus it never appealed to me.

About two years ago, however, I was backpacking through Pakistan and I came across many abandoned Buddhist sites (although there are no longer any Buddhists in Pakistan), eg: Dharmajika stupa, Mankiala stupa, Taxila, the Ashoka edicts at Mansehr, etc. So when I came back, I wanted to learn more about the history of Buddhism and that revealed to me a dimension of Buddhism that I had never knew before (it also helped the fact that one of the first books I read on this subject was "What the Buddha Taught" by the Venerable Walpola Rahula). I did some more research and the more I read, the more it made sense to me! And of course, then I started with the meditations.

dhamma savaka wrote:growing up as a kid, Buddhism always seemed hokey and I always thought that the Buddha was "the fat guy at the restaurants"

Welcome to the forum, and nice username.

Metta,Retro.

"When we transcend one level of truth, the new level becomes what is true for us. The previous one is now false. What one experiences may not be what is experienced by the world in general, but that may well be truer. (Ven. Nanananda)

“I hope, Anuruddha, that you are all living in concord, with mutual appreciation, without disputing, blending like milk and water, viewing each other with kindly eyes.” (MN 31)

The heart of the path is SO simple. No need for long explanations. Give up clinging to love and hate, just rest with things as they are. That is all I do in my own practice. Do not try to become anything. Do not make yourself into anything. Do not be a meditator. Do not become enlightened. When you sit, let it be. When you walk, let it be. Grasp at nothing. Resist nothing. Of course, there are dozens of meditation techniques to develop samadhi and many kinds of vipassana. But it all comes back to this - just let it all be. Step over here where it is cool, out of the battle. - Ajahn Chah

"An important term for meditative absorption is samadhi. We often translate that as ‘concentration’, but that can suggest a certain stiffness. Perhaps ‘unification’ is a better rendition, as samadhi means ‘to bring together’. Deep samadhi isn't at all stiff. It’s a process of letting go of other things and coming to a unified experience."

This offering maybe right, or wrong, but it is one, the other, both, or neither!Blog,-Some Suttas Translated,Ajahn Chah."Others will misconstrue reality due to their personal perspectives, doggedly holding onto and not easily discarding them; We shall not misconstrue reality due to our own personal perspectives, nor doggedly holding onto them, but will discard them easily. This effacement shall be done."

Nice to see this site is a resource for so many I am totally new and still surfing the forums a lot. Look forward to meeting you and sharing our experiences more!

Noah

Evil is caused by and is the cause of future suffering, abandon at all costs! Cultivate virtuous qualities and live the happy life! Just as all wise human endeavors, from Physics to Philosophy, approach the Dhamma; be fearless in your reverence for it- The time for the True Law is yet to dawn in the west!!